. with the hope that they will stand up even in difficult circumstances.
KONNO-san, when typhoon No. 15 raged in 2019, you launched a project called "THE 15" to raise money for your hometown, Chiba. At that time, you made an objet d'art in the motif of Haroshi's work.
Konno:. I used Haroshi's middle finger piece that you mentioned earlier as a motif. This is a very memorable one, and it is the last middle finger that Keith Hufnagel, who has passed away, aproved for me before his death.
Many places were damaged by Typhoon No. 15, especially in the southern part of Chiba, where the power was cut off for a long time and the water supply was also cut off, and traces of the damage still remain. We wanted to do something to help these areas, so we started "THE15" to collect donations.
I decided on the concept of the "GLOW IN THE DARK" activity when I saw up close how people were cooking out with a Maglite in their mouths during the blackout when there were no lights on. This object is also made of luminescent material and glows. . I wanted it to continue to shine even in the dark.
Haroshi:At first, Konno-san and I were talking about using scrap blue sheets and stuffing them inside, but when we tried it, it was so lame. So we decided to use phosphorescent light. But I heard that blue luminescence is hard to find. So I went to the trouble of having them made.
What made you decide to work with Haroshi?
Konno:. In the midst of the enormous damage, everyone's hearts were breaking. Houses were half destroyed and flooded, and all the important things were soaked. There was no electricity, and there were children and elderly people, so it was really hard. My own friends must have been feeling very strong, but they seemed to be in a lot of pain at that time.
. So I wanted to express a rebellious spirit, or rather, a wish that people would stand up in spite of such a situation. If you take Middle Finger alone, it may have a negative image, but I thought it was necessary to take action to raise the middle finger against such a situation, and Haroshi's work matched that image. So I told him I wanted to do it.
Haroshi:This one is based on Keith's hand. There is a picture of Keith's hand on the wall. I made it based on the photo, taking various measurements.
I want to say this out loud, but I have never personally made middle fingers, and I am always asked to do so by someone else. People often think that this is my style, but that is not true. Let me tell you that I make rather peaceful works, such as handshake motifs, and that I am not a middle finger guy (laughs).
Keith himself did not just want to do the middle finger, but I think he asked me to do it in a more conceptual sense.
When Haroshi-san received the request from Konno-san, did you immediately give him the OK?
Haroshi:Yes, that's right. At first, there was talk of making a "Cheeba-kun" (laughs). (Laughs). We were searching for the best among the various ideas that came up. For example, even if we made one large work and sold it for a high price, it would become the property of one person. Instead, it is better to share the feeling with everyone. I think that is what a donation is all about, and I think that something that can be established with a large sum of money by a single person is fragile. I think it is stronger if everyone works together a little bit at a time to make a big lump, and that is how this project came to be.
Konno:. We are very grateful to have friends who are willing to help us. A member of the prefectural assembly also cooperated with us in this project, and we were able to send the collected donations directly to Chiba Prefecture without going through NPOs or other organizations.
I consulted with some well-known organizations, but I found out that they charge a very high margin for their fees. I didn't want to be charged a lot of money for doing nothing, and I thought there were many things we could do with that money. So I contacted the prefectural assembly member to see if there was a way to deliver the money that would not cut out the middleman. He was very considerate and prepared an account to transfer the money directly to the prefectural government. He is from Narita, and my seniors who live in Narita also worked with me, and I am truly grateful to all of them.
